Page 14 of Something to Talk About

“Well, alright. Do you have time for later in the evening?” I’m about to admit defeat, maybe hit the store to buy earplugs, when I look at Asher’s place. His truck is in the driveway, and he did mention to let him know if I need anything. Since I can’t ask him what I’d truly like to, maybe he’ll help me with the smoke detector.

“Let me check,” she replies.

“If I have someone stop by and disable it until you’re able to get out here and have it fixed properly, will that void the warranty?” I cross my fingers. If Asher can’t help, I’m going to suck it up and find a do-it-yourself.

“As long as nothing is missing and the wires aren’t ruined to a degree things can’t be spliced back together, there won’t be a charge and your warranty won’t be voided.” Well, I guess that’s something.

“Alright.”

“The latest I have is five thirty. Will that do?” I do somequick thinking and am pretty sure I’ll be able to get here in the nick of time barring there isn’t any traffic.

“That works, thank you.”

“You’re welcome. We’ll send a reminder text the day before with the technician’s information. Have a great day.” We hang up, and I’m on my feet, walking to Asher’s place. I probably should have showered, changed, thrown a pair of shoes on, and maybe pick up my mess on the stoop.

It’s too late now. Our homes aren’t that far apart. The walk is short, and when you’re in a hurry, you get there even faster. So, when my finger presses the doorbell, there’s no turning around and going back. Nervous energy surrounds me, unsure of what to do with my hands or if I should take a step back.

“Lennon, is everything okay?” Asher answers the door in nothing but a pair of swimming trunks. He is hot in clothing. In barely anything? Well, he’s off-the-charts hot.

“Um, well, I have a smoke detector going off. It’s hard-wired in, and I’m not sure how to fix it. The electrician company can’t come out until Thursday, and the noise is driving me crazy.” It’s like when you’re driving down the road and hear a tapping, and no matter what, it doesn’t stop. “Can you help me?”

“Yeah, gorgeous. I can help you. Let me change real quick, grab my tool bag, and I’ll meet you over there.” Asher scans the length of my body. It’s then I realize I’m in my work clothes. Black scrubs, name badge, hair up in a ponytail, and shoeless.

“Thank you, I truly appreciate it. I’ll leave the door unlocked. Just walk on in.” My knees threaten to buckle withthe way Asher is taking me in, and damn if I’m not doing the same.

“You’re welcome. See you there.” I reluctantly back away to head back home when what I’d really like to do is follow him inside and do a lot more than look.

11

ASHER

“Lennon?” True to her word, the door is unlocked. I shake my head. I’d have preferred she locked it, but beggars can’t be choosers, and as much as I want to make a demand, the last damn thing I want to do is make her uncomfortable.

“In the kitchen!” I’ve been in this house many times when her aunt lived here. Plus, her bungalow isn’t big. You can stand in the foyer and see the living room to the left, dining room to the right, and the open doorway leads to the kitchen. As much as I want to make a detour, more than ready to see where Lennon lays her head down at night, I don’t.

“Smells good even with the beeping noise carrying on,” I tell her as I walk to where she’s standing in front of the stove. She’s out of her scrubs and is wearing an oversized tee, one shoulder bared, and a pair of cotton shorts rolled at thewaist. The shirt has some kind of tuck going on, showing off her waist.

“Yeah, it’s hard to sit still. I figured the least I could do to thank you is feed you dinner.” I set my tool bag on the floor, settle in beside her, and watch as she goes about cooking. There’s some kind of chicken being sautéed in one pot, noodles boiling in the other, and she’s chopping vegetables on the cutting board.

“You didn’t have to go to all this trouble.” I say, she pauses to look up at me.

“And you didn’t have to pause your evening to help me out.” A soft smile plays on her lips.

“Fair enough. How about I go figure out what the deal is, and if I can’t, I’ve got a friend who knows a thing or two about a thing or two.” I’m not bragging that I’m part of that situation or that we own a company together. As far as Lennon knows, I’m a firefighter. We’ll figure out the rest as we get further along.

“I guess I should show you where it’s coming from,” she offers.

“Taking a guess it’s through that door,” I reply, bending down to pick up my tool bag. The noise is only getting worse with every minute I stand watching Lennon do her thing.

“I’m not going to tell you how long it took me to locate the source of the beeping. Clearly, I’m losing my hearing, but now that I’ve found it, I’m ready to grab a hammer and bang on it until it dies.” While there’s laughter in her voice, I can tell she’s dead serious. I make a mental note not to piss her off. Lennon Sinclair can handle herself, that’s for damn sure.

“The option might still be there. Time will tell.”

She reaches for me.

She fucking reaches for me.

“Thank you. I’m a little out of my element doing a lot of things on my own and, well, I really appreciate you helping me.” A hunger like no other slams inside of me when her slim fingers wrap around my wrist, holding them there and gently squeezing me. I’m fighting the soul-consuming need to slide her hand up my chest, bury my fingers in her hair, and finally get a taste of the woman who’s kept me up morning, noon, and night thinking about her. What I would do to her, what I will do to her, and after the news my friends delivered, I’ve got doubt lingering in the back of my mind about slowing things down.

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